Clive Palmer Releases Memorandum Of Understanding With Motoring Enthusiast Party

Clive Palmer has released the text of a Memorandum of Understanding his party has with Senator-elect Ricky Muir of the Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party.

The document, dated October 6, says “each of the parties intends to work together and where it is practicably to vote together in the Senate”. The parties express “a desire to cooperate and assist each other as may be appropriate”.

The agreement permits each party to vote in Parliament in accordance with their policies, principles and conscience.

The document lists four points numbered 1, 2, 4 and 5. It itemises three statements as A, B and D.

The practical effect of the document is limited and amounts to little more than an intention to cooperate. It is neither a binding legal agreement or a detailed political deal.

The Australian Greens have called for reform of the Senate voting system after the release of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Palmer United Party and the Motoring Enthusiasts Party failed to clarify the relationship between the parties.

The Motoring Enthusiasts Party’s Senator-elect, Ricky Muir, was elected despite polling only half a per cent of the primary vote in the 2013 federal election.

“Australians should be able to feel confident that when they vote for a party in the Senate, if preferences are distributed they flow according to the voter’s choice,” said Greens Democracy spokesperson Senator Lee Rhiannon today.

“The current Senate voting system does not do that. The system we have now encourages the creation of front parties to harvest preferences and unprincipled backroom preference deals.

“Senate Group Voting Tickets have led to the election of Mr Muir on a tiny fraction of the vote. They need to be abolished to restore fairness to our elections.

“The MOU between the Palmer United Party and the Motoring Enthusiasts Party does not clarify the relationship between the two,” Said Senator Rhiannon.